Is McDavid, Matthews, MacKinnon the new Big Three?

[Ainec]

The other guy just got screwed over on the Hart last year and is finally stepping out of the shadows of some other guy from his home town.

How can you say he was screwed out of a Hart? That's doing Hall a lot of disservice. And maybe he was justifiably in the shadows with a 53 and 52 point seasons.

 

[BayStreetBully]

100%.

Can you imagine a Matthews-led team missing the playoffs? I can’t. It’s no coincidence he brought his team from last place to playoff team in his very first year, to top contender in only his third year. His will and ability to lead and win is as strong and durable as his 6’3, 223 ibs man frame.

 

[22FUTON9]

There really isn't a clear cut third player to McDavid and Matthews. The closest is Mackinnon and Kucherov; but both didn't perform until they were 23. I actually thought Elias Petterssen and/or Barzal had the potential to be the 3rd best player of this era. Both have higher point per game averages then Kucherov/Mackinnon.

Okay. I’ll bite. What makes Matthews the clear cut number 2 and with McDavid?

It’s really comical how some (and I mean some) were so hard on Mackinnon and said he needs to prove himself for more than 30, 40 games to be considered better than guys like Draisaitl, Marner, Nylander etc... but are shoving the notion that Matthews is already on the level of McDavid and is better than the Crosbys, Malkins, Mackinnons, Barkovs etc... after less than 10 games

 

[Ainec]

Can you imagine a Matthews-led team missing the playoffs? I can’t. It’s no coincidence he brought his team from last place to playoff team in his very first year, to top contender in only his third year. His will and ability to lead and win is as strong and durable as his 6’3, 223 ibs man frame.

 

[talitintti]

Yes, because I look at coaches like Dan Bylsma who did this with other players like Evander Kane, ROR and an actual Superstar like Crosby as a coaching savant.

I don't quite grasp your point, all I'm saying that if there was a p/60 award then 23 minutes a night isn't especially the ideal usage for that. There's a very good reason why players usually don't get that much ice time.

 

[Captain Controversy]

Shitttt I wish mcdavid was as good as Mathews.

 

[Nadal On Clay]

It might be hard to believe, but one of those guys has played all of a season and 2/3. The full season was his rookie year where he came 2nd in goals and won what is considered to be a significant trophy.
The other guy just got screwed over on the Hart last year and is finally stepping out of the shadows of some other guy from his home town.

Did they show periods of being the best player in the world? Did they win any major awards outside the Calder?

MacKinnon could have been argued as the best player in the world at some point last season, but he got injured and got edged by McDavid in the 2nd half. If he wants to be included in a “big 3”, he would need to put up a couple more elite seasons while being close to McDavid in terms of production and level of play.

As for Matthews, only the future will tell us since he has nothing to show for now other than a 7 game sample size to be compared with the very best of the game.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

McDavid is in a league of his own

 

[93LEAFS]

I don't quite grasp your point, all I'm saying that if there was a p/60 award then 23 minutes a night isn't especially the ideal usage for that. There's a very good reason why players usually don't get that much ice time.

The point was, coaches don't do it because generally, it isn't in the best interest of the team. Very few winning teams actually allocate ice-time like that. The original point was also about cherry picking stats. For example, using a team that has played the most games played of NHL teams, and the number of players they had top 10 in scoring (3), to a team that has played the least games, and how few players they have in the top 50 (0).

Does Matthews have better support? Yes. Is McDavid better? Yes. But, you can selectively choose a bunch of stats to make your point or in an attempt to diminish one or the other. And, while the Oilers secondary lines are bad, they tend to put a lot of talent on the McDavid line. Matthews only real advantage with who he plays with is on the PP, or if you think he's getting easier minutes and benefitting from the wear and tear the leafs other two top 9 lines create. RNH is currently a better player than Marleau and Kapanen, and I have no idea of what to make of Rattie, although, he is the worst of the 4 (but prolly better than Tyler Ennis currently is).

 

[34]

Can you imagine a Matthews-led team missing the playoffs? I can’t. It’s no coincidence he brought his team from last place to playoff team in his very first year, to top contender in only his third year. His will and ability to lead and win is as strong and durable as his 6’3, 223 ibs man frame.

Matthews is the man, and he is going to prove it. I am done wasting my time fighting with Toronto haters. Lets just enjoy the awesome team Shanny and Co. built.

 

[Nadal On Clay]

Can you imagine a Matthews-led team missing the playoffs? I can’t. It’s no coincidence he brought his team from last place to playoff team in his very first year, to top contender in only his third year. His will and ability to lead and win is as strong and durable as his 6’3, 223 ibs man frame.

He helped them going to the playoffs all by himself with a whopping 69 pts in 82 GP.

 

[93LEAFS]

Did they show periods of being the best player in the world? Did they win any major awards outside the Calder?

MacKinnon could have been argued as the best player in the world at some point last season, but he got injured and got edged by McDavid in the 2nd half. If he wants to be included in a “big 3”, he would need to put up a couple more elite seasons while being close to McDavid in terms of production and level of play.

As for Matthews, only the future will tell us since he has nothing to show for now other than a 7 game sample size to be compared with the very best of the game.

We have pretty strong indications he is elite, and the main thing holding him back from elite point production was PP usage. He has the most 5v5 goals since he entered the league, the 2nd most primary points at 5v5 and the 5th most total points despite missing 20 games.

 

[BayStreetBully]

He helped them going to the playoffs all by himself with a whopping 69 pts in 82 GP.

Yep. Only teenager ever to be 2nd in goal scoring as a rookie. That was quite an entry into the league. And in his third year (2.1 years, really), already a top 2 player in the game.

 

[Nadal On Clay]

We have pretty strong indications he is elite, and the main thing holding him back from elite point production was PP usage. He has the most 5v5 goals since he entered the league, the 2nd most primary points at 5v5 and the 5th most total points despite missing 20 games.

That’s not “big 3” worthy at all. Let him break the 70 point mark before claiming he has a case to be in McDavids tier.

 

[Sam Spade]

The mods really let this place turn into a total dump

I know this will be deleted but man are you correct. A few years ago 3/4 of the threads on the mains would be locked after two posts. Repetitive, stupid, titles that make no sense and on an on.....

You basically have to stick to your teams board or the GDT anymore.

 

[Devilsfan992]

I agree .. I think McDavid is clearly #1 and MacKinnon and Matthews battle it out for #2.

The next tier in my opinion is Barkov, Pastrnak, Marner, Barzal, Eichel and Laine. I may have missed some guys.

Note: 23 and younger

 

[Bank Shot]

No, probably the Oilers bottom 9 is 5 minutes worse than the Leafs bottom 9.

It's getting so green in here.

Matthews will need to perform at the level of his last seven games for at least two seasons before he gets in any conversation of belonging in the "Big Three"

 

[Nadal On Clay]

Yep. Only teenager ever to be 2nd in goal scoring as a rookie. That was quite an entry into the league. And in his third year (2.1 years, really), already a top 2 player in the game.

... while being 125th in assists amongst all NHL.

 

[ujju2]

No, only because it's too early to put Matthews in that group, although he will be in it if he keeps this up, and I think the old guard (Crosby, Ovi, etc) are closer to McDavid at this point than MacKinnon is. Plus I can easily see the case for a guy like Laine to surpass MacKinnon in a couple years. In their primes, I think it'll end up being McDavid, Matthews, and Laine, but for now we're still in the transition period from the Crosby/Ovi era to the McDavid era, so really only McDavid has broken through that barrier completely.

 

[Devilsfan992]

I'm not a Leafs fan, but it seems very ignorant to not call Matthews the real deal. He was on pace for 37 even strength goals last year as a 20 year old... Laine had 24, Ovechkin had 31.

 

[BayStreetBully]

... while being 125th in assists amongst all NHL.

And now he’s a top 2 player in the game. It’s astounding how far he’s come in the last 1.5 years. Imagine what he could do in another 1.5.

 

[BayStreetBully]

I'm not a Leafs fan, but it seems very ignorant to not call Matthews the real deal. He was on pace for 37 even strength goals last year as a 20 year old... Laine had 24, Ovechkin had 31.

Agreed. Very ignorant.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Matthews looks poised to have more team success, certainly. And that’s mainly due to Matthews’ ability to elevate his team.

Quick reminder that McDavid has won more playoff series than Matthews, while Matthews has lost more playoff series than McDavid lol

 

[93LEAFS]

It's getting so green in here.

Matthews will need to perform at the level of his last seven games for at least two seasons before he gets in any conversation of belonging in the "Big Three"

Yeah, because if he somehow ends up with 187 points this year he won't be declared the best player in the world.........He'll have to do it next year too. Yes, I get the highly unlikely odds that he will do that, but your statement is ridiculous.

 

[Acallabeth]

Who's the old big 3?

Kulemin, Grabovski and Macarthur.